刺蕨 ci jue

Acrostichum appendiculatum Willdenow, Sp. Pl. 5: 114. 1810; Egenolfia appendiculata (Willdenow) J. Smith; E. crenata Ching & P. S. Chiu.

Rhizome shortly creeping, up to 3 mm in diam., with 2 or 3 rows of fronds, densely scaly; scales blackish, lanceolate, 2-3 × 1-1.5 mm, opaque or subclathrate, margin with irregular small teeth. Fronds close together; sterile fronds pinnate, 15-40 cm; stipe 5-15 cm, ca. 1 mm in diam., sparsely scaly near base; lamina dark green when dry, lanceolate, 12-25 × 3.5-6 cm, herbaceous; terminal segment triangular, apex acuminate, sometimes somewhat prolonged; rachis usually with a narrow wing; pinnae 15-30 pairs, opposite or alternate, up to 3 cm apart, elliptic-linear, 2-3.5 × 5-8 cm, base asymmetrical, usually oblique, margin ± entire, finely serrate, or lobed to 1/3 toward costa, apex usually obtuse or rounded, lowermost 2 pinnae 1-2 mm stalked; secondary veins on either side with 2 or 3 tertiary veins. Fertile fronds pinnate, 25-40 cm; stipe 20-25 cm; pinnae 10-30 pairs, 8-10 × 2-3 mm, lowermost 2 pinnae 1-9 mm stalked. Sporangia inserted throughout abaxial surface, arrangement fully acrostichoid.

Creeping on rocks in dense forests, on soil in evergreen forests; 100-1300 m. Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Taiwan, Yunnan [Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam].